Electric signaling apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. D. & G. W. BLODGETT & J. P. TIRRELL.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 263,281. Patented Aug. 22, 1882.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lxlhogmphcr. Wnslvmgcn. r). c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. D. 82; G. W. BLODGETT & J. P. TIRRELL.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 22, 1882..

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. 11. & G. W. BLODGETT & J. P. TIRRELL.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS. No. 263,281. Patented Aug. 22, 1882.

I si zuLL I eLZ E??? r- I IIIM N PETERS. Phqo-Lmvogmpbon wmmmn. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

AARON D. BLODGETT, GEORGE W. BLODGETT, AND JACOB P. TIRRELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO SAID A. D. BLODGETT, G. \V. BLODGETT, AND GEORGE O. CARPENTER, OF SAME PLACE, AND JAMES v F. EMERSON, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,281, dated August 22, 1882.

Application filed May 15, 1852.

To all whom 'Lt may concern Be it known that we, AARON D. BLODGETT, GEORGE W. BLODGETT, and JACOB P. TIR- RELL, all of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Electric Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is in part an improvement on IO the electric signal for which we filed an application for Letters Patent of the United States December 17, 1881, No. 48,169, the improvement consisting in. the provision of means whereby, after the electrodes or circuit-closing [5 devices described in said application have been in operation for six days, giving each day signals for the departure of railroad-trains, ac cording to a week-day schedule or' time-table, the said electrodes will be made inoperative, and a differently-arranged set of electrodes or circuit-closing devices will be brought automatically into action on the seventh day, the signals given on that day conforming to the Sunday time-table.

The invention also has for its object to provide improved means for automatically keeping the intermittently-rotating timecylinder of our signal mechanism or any chronometrical .device in unison with a standard clock at any 0 desired point; and this part of our invention consists in the provision of means whereby the vibrations of the armature of an ordinary sounder connected electrically with a signalclock and operated thereby at regular intervals are caused to regulate the operation of a chronometrical device.

The invention also consists in certain details of construction, all of which we will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a signaling apparatus embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 00 m, Fig. 2, looking down- 4 wardly. Figs. 4. and 5 represent respectively sections on lines 3/ y and z 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 6

represents a diagram showing an arrangement (N0 model.)

of devices for regulating the time-cylinder by a standard clock. Fig. 7 represents a side ele- 5o vation of a different arrangement of our apparatus. Fig. 8 represents a section on line w 10, Fig. 7. Figs. 9 represents a section on line m :0, Fig. 7. Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, and let represent details employed in the construction shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 15 represents a diagram of the connections employed with the construction shown in Fig. 7.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, D represents a metallic cylinder adapted to rotate on avertical axis, and provided with holes adapted to receive pins or minute electrodes p. In Figs. 1 and 2 the holes are arranged in parallel peripheral rows, each row having sixty holes, while in Fig. 7 a different arrangement of holes is shown, which will be described hereinafter, the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 4, 5, and 6 being first described as follows: The cylinder is provided with a ratchet,f, having sixty teeth, and with the ratchet is engaged a pawl, I), which is operated by the armature of an electro-magnet,

M, and rotates the cylinder a distance equal to the length of one ratchet-tooth each minute, thus giving the cylinder a complete rotation once each hour.

h represents a single electrode or spring, which is mounted on a verticallymovable notched bar, 1", which is raised by a dog, b, operated by the armature of an electro-magnet, N, once each hour, the dog 7) raising the bar 1' and its electrode a distance equal to the space between each row of minute'electrodes and the next. These movements cause each pin or minute-electrode inserted in the cylinder to make contact with the single electrode at the minute or unit of time represented by such pin, a circuit being closed through a signal-bell whenever such contact is made. A 0 series of signals is therefore automatically given, announcing the departure of trains ac= cording to a given schedule or time-table. After the single electrode has been raised to the row of holes corresponding to the last hour of 5 the day on the cylinder, and the latterhas been once rotated while the single electrode is in the last-named position, the notched rod carryin g the single electrode is released automatically and allowed to drop, the single electrode being thus brought to the row of holes corresponding to the first hour of the day.

Apparatus operating in the manner thus generally described is shown in our abovenamed application, to which reference is made for a fuller description. In said application the cylinder is shown as providedwith twentyfour rows ot' holes, one for each hour of the day, and the same minute-electrodes are brought into use every day, so that there will be no variation in the order of the signals from day to day while the minute-electrodes are arranged in any given order.

In carrying out our present invention we provide the cylinder D with an upward extension, D, and provide it with another series of rows of holes, preferably corresponding in number and arrangement to the holes already described in the lower portion of the cylinder. In the holes ot'the extension D pinsp may be placed to correspond with a Sunday time-table. Thenotched rod 1", supporting the single electrode it, above described, is provided at its upper end with a similar electrode, h, adapted to make contact with the pins p successively, the electrode h moving in unison with the electrode h. In the normal condition of the apparatus-that is to say, during the six week-daysthe electrode h is kept out of the electric circuit in which the signal-bell is located, so that although the electrode h and the pins 19 come in contact with each other daily the circuit is not closed by their contact until the seventh day, when the electrode h is automatically put into the circuit with the signal-bell, and electrode h is automatically cut out from said circuit and made inoperative. This change is effected in the present instance by the devices next described.

t'represents a shaft journaled in insulated bearings on the base B, and provided with a ratchet, j, having seven teeth, and with two disks, k, ot'insulating material, one of which, k, has a short metallic section, I, in its periphery equal to about one-seventh of its circumference, while the other, k, has a metallic section, 1, equal to about six-sevenths of its circumference. On the periphery of the disk It bear two metallic springs, 0 0, one of which is in metallic connection through a post, 11 and flexible wire q with the single electrode h, and the other is connected with the metallic base B of the apparatus. The spring 0 is connected to the post 11 and with said post is insulated from the metallic base B, while the spring 0 is in metallic connection with said base, which is connected with one pole of the battery in the signaling-circuit, as in our former application. \Vhen the springs 0 0 rest on the metallic portion of the disk It they are electrically connected, so that when the electrode his in contact with one of the pins 19 the circuit will be closed and the signal operated; but when the springs'rest on the insulating portion of the disk they are insulated from each other and the electrode h is cut out of the circuit and inoperative.

On the disk It rest two springs, s 8, one of which, 8, is connected with the electrode it through a post, u, and flexible wire v, said post and spring being insulated from the base B, while the other, 8', is in metallic connection with the base, The springs s s, when resting on the metallic portion of the disk 70, put the electrode 71/ in circuit, and when resting on the insulating portion cut out said electrode and render it inoperative. The disks k 76' are so arranged on their arbor that when the springs of the disk It reston a metallic portion the springs of the disk 70 rest on'an insulating portion, and vice versa. The ratchet j is rotated one-seventh of a complete rotation by each descent of the bar r, said bar carrying a tooth, c, which engages with a tooth of the ratchet when the'bar drops, and with a stop, w, which abuts against a succeeding tooth and prevents the tooth 'b" from rotating the ratchet more than one-seventh of a complete rotation.

The operation is as follows: At the commencement of the week, or on Monday, the springs s 8 rest on the forward portion of the metallic surface of the disk It and the springs o 0 rest on the forward portion of the insulating-surface ot' the disk It. At the end of each day the disks k k are partly rotated, as described, andat the end of the sixth day the conditions of the two disks are reversed, the springs o 0 resting. on the insulated surface of the disk It and the springs s s on the metallic surface of the disk k. 011 the seventh day, therefore, the circuit is closed by the pins p and electrode h. The metallic portion of the disk It and the insulating portion of the disk 70 are of such length that the next rotation of the disks restores them to the condition first described. It will be seen therefore that the on Sunday and restored on Monday is entirely automatic, so that no readjustment of the minute-electrodes is necessary to adapt the apparatus for Sunday use.v

It is obvious that the means whereby the electrodes 72. h are alternately placed in and cut out from the circuit may be variously modified without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we do not therefore limit ourselves to the special devices described for this purpose.

The ratchet f is formed in a separate piece from the cylinder, and is journaled in a sleeve cylinder rests in a socket in the upper surface of the ratchet, and is removable from the lat ter. A pin, 3', projecting from the cylinder into an orificein the ratchet, connects the cylinder and ratchet, so that they will rotate together. The upper journal, 1), of the cylinder receives a stud, p, which slides vertically in a on the base B. The lower'journal, 7c, of the action, whereby the week-day time is suspended holder in the yoke or frame B,and is pressed downwardly by a spring, as shown in Fig. 2. When the stud p is raised the cylinder D is released and can be removed from the ratchet and base, so that readjustment of the pins can be readily effected. f

The electro-magnet M, which attracts the armature earrrying the cylinder-rotating dog 1), is excited once each minute by suitable connections with an electrical clock. In Fig. (3 we have shown an arrangement whereby said: magnet is excited by the operation of the armatureE of atelegraphic sounder of the kind ordinarily used in a time-service system and operated by a standard clock at an observa-E tory, so as to give a blow or sound which is synchronous with every alternate vibration of the standard clock pendulum, excepting at in-f tervals when the operation of the sounder is interrupted to mark divisions of time. In the: time-service connected with' the clock at the observatory at Cambridge, Massachusetts, the sounders are caused to operate every alternate second until twenty-nine sounds have been given, and then a pause occurs which marks the close of the minute. Four minutes are indicated in this way in succession, and during the'fifth minute the operation ofthe sounder ceases, after giving eighteen sounds, until the close of the minute, so that a longer pause occurs, marking the closing of a period of five minutes.

F represents a ratchet on an arbor, G, and

'11 represents a disk of insulating material at? fixedto the same arbor, and provided with five insulated metallic sections, 1 I I I I. on its periphery. The ratchet F has one hundred and thirty-four teeth-a number equal to the other pole of which the magnet M is connected.

WVhen the springs J J both rest on a metallic section I the circuit is closed through the magnet M, and the latter is caused to attract its armature and rotate the cylinder D one step. The number of teeth with which the ratchet F is provided insures one complete rotation of the ratchet and the disk H every five minutes, and the arrangement of the metallic sections 1 is such that the circuit will be closed in the manner described at the expiration ofeach minute, four of said sections being at uniform distances apart, and the h'fth being separated from the fourth by a space shorter than any that exists between the others, so that the fifth section will be brought to a contact with the springs J J by the eighteen beats of the fifth'minute. It will be seen therefore that "the cylinder is governed in its rotation by the standard clock, and is therefore rotated with entire accuracy.

It is obvious that the device for periodically electrodes h b,

closing the circuit by the operation of the sounder may be employed for other chrononietrical purposes besides regulating the rotation of the cylinder D. Hence we do not limit ourselves to the employment for said purpose; nor do we limit ourselves to the employment of a circuit-closing device in connection with the armature of a telegraph sounder as a means for regulating the chronometrical device. Said armature may be arranged to fall when released from its mag-net upon an arm projecting laterally from the pendulum of a clock, and thereby give-an impulse to said pendulum and keep it in a uniform rate of vibration. The armature in this case should be kept vibrating at a uniform rate, instead of being allowed to stopat intervals, asabove described.

In Fig. 7,S,9,10,1i,l2,13, and 14 we have shown a diiferent arrangement of pins or minute-electrodes on the cylinder 1) and its extension, diiferent means for closing the circuits through the signal, and certain other details of cons ruction. The holes for the pins or minute-electrodes 1), instead of being arranged in parallel peripheral rows, are arranged in a single spiral row, the number of holes being the sa me as previously described. The holes in the extension D are also arranged in asingle spiral row. The single electrodes h It are therefore raised continuously at such a rate that they will meet the pins or minuteelectrodes successively, and their upward motion is effected by means of a spirally-grooved vertical arbor, 1", a sleeve, t, adapted to slid-c vertically on said arbor and supporting the and a pin, 6, passing through the sleeve t and entering the spiral groove 9 in the arbor r.

A represents a gear-wheel on the arbor r, meshing with a gear-wheel, A, on the arbor of the ratchet-f, the arbor 0" being thus rotated by and with the cylinder D, the spiral groove causing the pin 0 and sleeve t, with the electrodes h h,'to move continuously upward on the arbor r.

I e have arranged the pins 1) and the electrode it so that they do not actdirectly as electrodes in closing the circuit, but have a mechanical action, whereby a clock-train is released and caused to rotate a circuit breaking and closing disk. To this end the electrode 11, which in this connection we will call a lever, is pivoted to the sleeve 2, and is extended backwardly from its pivot and engaged at its rear end with an elongated crank, a, on a ver: tical rock-shaft, c, which is journaled in suitable tixed bearings. ()n the upper end of the rock shaft c is an arm, (2, to which is pivoted a second arm, 0, having a stop, 0 at its outer end. When a pimp, comes in contact with the electrode or lever h it turns said lever on its pivot, and thus causes it, through the crank a, to turn the rod 0 in its bearings and move the arm 0 in one direction, a spring, a, pressing the lever it toward the cylinder and moving the arm 0 in the opposite direction.

4 that's 1 When the pin 1), that displa'c'ed the levrh,

' passes by said lever, the arlne is thus reciprocated', so that the stop a will come alternately v against the stop e and causes said stop to arrest the next pin, m, while the opposite move ment of the arrn 6 causes its stop to release the pin m and stop the next pin, m. g I l I The periphery of thedisk fit is provided with projections U, which, when the disk is rotated, make contact successively pith a metallic spring, V, which is electricallyconnected with the spring '8, that bears on the disk It, (See Fig. 15-.) The contact of each projection U with the spring V closes the; circnitthrongh thc signal-bell, the disk n being eonnected througha battery, W," an'd' the signalbell with the sprin a, bearing o 'r the dis'k ig as shown in Fig. 15. v The projectio'nsUarepreferably' soarrange'd that during one movement of the disk n a given number or signals will be givensay two=and at the next a difi'erent' number-say one. Hence by placingone pin p in a hole representing the starting-minute and another in a hole representing oneo'r more minutes prior to the starting-minnteth'e first pin will cause a warningsignal to be given differing from the starting-signal given by the next pin.

The electrode h is electrically connected with an eIectr mag'net, V,"which is connected through a battery, W, with the metallic frame of the machine and the cylinderD, so that whenevera pin, p, in the extension of the cylinder touches the electrode h the circuit is closed through the electro inagnet V and the armature W thereof isatltra'cted: Said armature has a stop; X, which projects over a disk, n, having pins m m and. projections'U, arranged like those of thediskn; I 4 l The disk at is rotated by a train of gearing, E F G H, impelled by thespring T. When the armature W? is attracted to the magnet the stop X thereon releases one of thepi'n's' hi, and when the'armature is released arrests one of the pinsmofthe disk n. y g .v t

A spring, Y, electrically connected \v'ith'thfe springp of the drum is arranged to make contact with the projections U of the disk n", said disk being connected through the battery W and the signal-bell with the spring o,be a'r'- ing on the diskk, so thatthe rotation of the disk n, caused'by the closing ef the circuit through the n'iagnet V, causes'the signal to be operated ,as by the rotation of the diskat, The diskn' is automatically kept incirouit for six days in succession, and is then'cut' out, I while .the disk 'n" is automatically put in" circuit on the seventh day and allowed-to remain one day,"and is then cut'out'by' means of the'arbor already descrihedythe ratchet 7' being rotated one-seventh of arevolution at each descent of the sleeve t, said sleevecarrying the i l i .l1, 41 which operates the ratchet j. I The sleeve tis released and allowed to fall after reaching its extreme of elevation by the withdrawalfo'fthe pin (2 from the spiral groovein thearbor'r,

thereby depriving the sleeve tot its only support. I The pin 6 is withdrawnby thecontact of an arm, 0, on thefcylinder'D withi'a lever, P, which is pivoted to the sleevet and bears against a pin, Q," o'n the pivoted arm R, on whichthe pine is formed- .When thesle'c've tre'aches a suflicient heightthe rotationoftl e "cylinder eaussfthe arm Q to tilt the lever l? a id t h'e latter to tilt the armRI, SO s to withdraw the pin e. y The sleeve t then falls until arrested by a stop S". The sleeve t. is guided. and preyented from ro't'ating on the arbor r y an ar T; p oj cti ir the s 'e ean having ajs'lo't in its outer end, which rides on the roc l i t i. t

Itwill be observed that the single spring T rotates both the disks n a through the intermediate trains of gearing. Said spring is attached at one end tea flange, II, on the gearwheel H of the train that rotates the diskn",

and at the other end to the arbor V towhich the gear-wheel S of the train that rotates the disk at is attached. The arbor Y is adapted to rotate independently of the gear-wheel H, so that the two are rotated in opposite directions by the uncoiling force of 1 the'spring exerted at its ends, This arrangement, whereby one spring is e'nabledto operate two'trains,

' may be applied to various mechanisms besides the one described. y lt desired, the cylinder D may be provided with acontinuons spiral groove, into which the pins or minntej-electrodesrnay be inserted, instead of two independent holes.

1. Ina signalingapparatus, the combination of a rotating verticalcylinder having two parts or division each adaptedto receivea'nd permit. any desired arrangement of pins, a'fsdevision's, each adapted to receive and permit any desired arrangement'of pins, as described,two

single devices, h h, supported by a baror slide, which is raised and released at intervals; as

described,fla signal-bell located in an electric circuit, intermediate devices whereby thecircuit is closed through said bell by theaction of the pins in one division or thejother'of, the cylinder, and an arbor having a ratchetwhich is rotated one step by each desc'ent'of said bar IIO jscribed,twosingledevicesJthQmovedupwardly along the cylinder by suitable mechanism, so

or slide, and circuit-changing devices, substan- I tially as described, operated by the rotation of said arbor, whereby the pins in the diflerent divisions of the cylinder are caused to alternate in their action on the circuit-closing devices, the pins of one division being made operative for six successive days and the pins of the other division on the seventh day, as set forth.

3. The combination of the base B, having the ratchetf, the cylinder D, having its lower bearing supported on said ratchet and engaged with said ratchet, so as to be removable therefrom, and the vertically-movablestud p supporting the upper journal of the cylinder, as set forth.

4. The combination, withatelegraph-sounder and chronometrical device, of a ratchet, F, operated by a pawl on the armature of the sounder, and having as many teeth as there are operations of the sounder in a period of five minutes, an insulating-disk having metallic sections arranged as described, and springs bearin g on said disk and connected, as described,with a circuit which includes the electro-magnet directly operating the chronometrical device.

5. As a means for raisin g and releasing the single devices h h, the combination of the rotated spirally grooved arbor r, the sleeve t, supporting said devices, and having the movable pin 6, entering the spiral groove of the arbor, and automatic devices whereby said pin is withdrawn from the spiral groove, as set forth.

6. The combination of the mechanically-rotated disk 12, having the pins m m and projections U, and connected, as described, in an electric circuit, the stop 6 adapted to arrest the pins on m successively, the rock shaft 0, operating said stop, the pivoted lever h, engaged, as described, with the rock-shaft, and the rotating cylinder D, having pins adapted to operate the lever h, as set forth.

7. The combination, with the cylinder D, havingtwo sectionsordivisions,each provided with pins, of the mechanically-impelled disks n a, connected, as described, in the same electric circuit, and alternately arrested and released by the action of the pins, and automatic means for putting one of said disks into and the other out of the circuit at predetermined intervals, as set forth.

8. In a signaling apparatus, a rotary cylinder having two parts or divisions, each adapted to receive and permit any desired adjustment of pins, as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of May, 1882.

AARON D. BLODGETT. GEO. W. BLODGETT. JACOB P. TIRRELL.

Witnesses:

0. F. BROWN, A. L. WHITE. 

